You’re Not “Too Small” for a Points Strategy
Spending $50K/month in your business? You’re not too small for a points strategy—you’re just leaving money on the table. With the right system, that same spend can unlock $40K–$100K in travel, perks, and ROI. Stop flying coach. Start using points like the business asset they are.
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Most small businesses earning six or even seven figures in annual revenue are sitting on a massive untapped asset: reward points. If you're spending $50K/month or more on marketing, software, vendors, or travel—and you don't have a structured points strategy—you’re leaving tens of thousands of dollars on the table every year. A systematized approach to earning and redeeming points can turn average cashback returns of 1.5–2% into 6–14%+ in travel value, perks, and business-class upgrades.
The key isn’t just picking the “right card”—it’s creating a system that maps spending categories to optimized cards, assigns clear roles to team members, tracks point accumulation, and ties redemptions to real business goals. This isn't about gaming the system—it’s about maximizing the ROI of spend you’re already making. Transferable points currencies like Amex, Chase, or Capital One give businesses flexibility and leverage to unlock premium travel experiences and employee rewards without increasing budget.
Founders often think they're too small or too busy to bother with points, but the reality is that they’re too successful to keep wasting value. Just a few hours of setup can yield thousands in returns—and once it’s running, the system pays for itself many times over. Points aren’t a hobby. They’re an overlooked business asset. And it’s time to start treating them that way.
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Even if your business is spending just $50K/month, you're not only eligible for a points strategy—you’re leaving real money on the table if you don’t have one.
That kind of monthly spend adds up to $600,000 a year. Yet many founders, especially in small but fast-moving businesses, believe they're “too lean” or “too early” to make rewards points worth the effort.
They're wrong.
You’re Spending More Than You Think
Founders pride themselves on being lean. They stretch every dollar, delay hires, negotiate vendor terms.
But let’s get honest: $50,000 a month in spend isn’t small. That’s half a million dollars a year—often more—moving through your bank accounts.
You’re paying for:
- Ads and lead gen
- Software tools and subscriptions
- Freelancer and agency invoices
- Travel, hotels, and conferences
- Phones, utilities, office expenses
Yet without a deliberate strategy, all of that spend is getting the return of… cash. Or worse—cash plus confusion.
Because if you’re earning points you never track or redeem well, you’re leaving thousands on the table.
It’s Not About the Card. It’s About the System.
The biggest myth in the business points game: Just pick the best card.
But this isn’t about the next welcome bonus or a flashy metal card. It’s about systematizing how your business earns and uses rewards.
The right strategy includes:
- The right cards for the right categories
- The right team members using the right cards
- A tracking and routing system to optimize spend
- A redemption plan tied to business goals
You’re Not Too Small. You’re Just Too Busy.
This is the story most small business owners tell themselves:
“We don’t spend enough for points to matter.”
But here’s what that “not enough” often looks like in reality:
- $50K/month in spend
- A team of 4–6
- 2–3 cards floating around
- No central tracking or clear rewards goals
That’s not too small. That’s just unoptimized.
Most founders are too focused on building their product or serving clients to optimize backend finances. But ignoring your points potential is like leaving inventory on the dock—or skipping billable hours.
The ROI Is Hiding in the Redemptions
If you think 60,000 points = $600, you’re playing the wrong game.
Business owners who understand the real power of award travel know this:
- 60,000 Amex, Chase, or Capital One points can be worth a $4,000 lie-flat seat to Europe
- 90,000 points can mean three nights in a luxury hotel during peak season
- 300,000 points can fund a team offsite or a dream honeymoon
The value is in how you redeem—not just how you earn.
The Hidden Spend Most Founders Overlook
You’re likely spending in areas you didn’t even realize could earn rewards. A few key ones:
- Vendor payments via bill pay platforms
- Freelancer invoices through Stripe or PayPal
- Software renewals (especially annual contracts)
- Conferences, coaching, and education
- Internet, phone, cloud storage, utilities
You don’t need to force everything onto a card. But strategic routing can turn fixed costs into future travel.
How to Structure a Strategy (Even If You’re Busy)
The key to maximizing your points potential isn’t spending more—it’s spending smarter. Here’s a framework you can implement in one afternoon (or hand off to your ops team).
1. Assign Categories
Look at your top 5–7 expense categories. Think: ads, travel, software, vendors, meals.
Then map each to the card that gives the highest return. For example:
- Ads on an Amex Business Gold (4x)
- Travel on a Chase Ink Preferred (3x)
- Software on a Capital One Spark (2x flat rate)
2. Assign Roles
Make sure each employee knows:
- Which card to use
- What categories they're responsible for
- How to track spend and receipts
Use tools like Ramp, Brex, or Divvy—or even a shared Google Sheet if you’re just starting out.
3. Set Goals
Are you trying to:
- Fly your team business class to a retreat?
- Cover conference hotels for the year?
- Fund your family’s summer vacation?
Pick one clear goal, calculate how many points it will require, and build your spend plan around it.
4. Automate Tracking
Use expense software that integrates with your credit card platform—or just track point earnings monthly in a spreadsheet.
Keep tabs on:
- Points earned by card and category
- Points pending or expiring
- Redemption values and outcomes
5. Redeem Intentionally
Don’t let points sit. Schedule your redemption strategy just like you’d plan budgets or taxes.
Once per quarter, check in:
- What’s available?
- What’s expiring?
- Where’s the best value?
Real Business, Real Outcomes
Case Study: A 4-Person Ad Agency
- Monthly Spend: $60K (mostly Google, Meta, and software)
- Before Strategy: 3 cards, 1.5% cash back—$11,400/year
- After Strategy: 80% of spend moved to transferable-points cards
- 6 Months Later:
- 1.2M points earned
- $55K+ in travel value
- Business class flights to Cannes
- Hotel stays for client pitches and industry events
- Employee perks without increasing comp
Final Thoughts: Small Business - Big Potential
If your business spends $50,000 a month and you don’t have a points strategy, you’re not small—you’re inefficient.
You don’t need to hire a points hacker. You just need a structure.
Start small:
- Categorize your spend
- Assign the right cards
- Set a goal
- Track it
- Redeem with intent
Because when you treat points like a business asset—not a side hobby—you stop leaving value behind.
You stop flying coach when you could fly flat.
You stop rewarding team wins with pizza parties when you could send them to Paris.
You start seeing every dollar as not just a cost—but an opportunity.
Your spend is big enough. Now your strategy needs to catch up.
